The use of dry lubricants for certain applications is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,368 to Meyer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,490 to Sargent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,132 to Sargent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,417 to Badger, U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,128 to Uematsu et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,521 to Fujii et al. disclose the application of lubricants including a dry lubricant to the work piece or the blank before a part is formed. The dry lubricant may include molybdenum disulfide (MoS.sub.2) or tungsten disulfide (WS.sub.2). A disadvantage with application of the dry lubricant to the work piece is that added cost and labor is required in applying the dry lubricant to each work piece and in removing the applied lubricant from the part after the part is formed from the work piece. In addition, such removal of the lubricant from the part may require additional chemicals and may create environmentally hazardous waste.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,368 to Nelson discloses application of a dry lubricant on bearings. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,094 to Spears discloses application of a dry lubricant on die cast molds for dealing with problems in releasing the part from the mold, on cutting tools for dealing with problems in preserving the sharpness of a cutting edge, and on sliding bearing surfaces to minimize friction between the bearings. Furthermore, the manuscript with title Investigation of Tribological Properties of Hard Coatings for Cutting Tools by Bandyopadhyay et al. presented at the Japan International Tribology Conference in Nagoya, Japan, 1990 discloses application of a dry lubricant on cutting tools.
However, the prior art does not show the application of a dry lubricant on the forming die of a stamping press or on the forging die of a forging press which use high force for forming a part with flow of material within the forming die or the forging die. Experiments by applicants indicate that application of a dry lubricant to the appropriate portions of the forming die of a stamping press results in a significant reduction in scrap. Furthermore, experiments by applicants indicate that application of a dry lubricant to the appropriate portions of the forging die of a forging press results in consistent prolonged usable life of the forging die.